MINNEAPOLIS — Three black teenagers say they feared for their lives when a Minneapolis Park Police officer pulled a gun on them while responding to a bogus 911 report that they were armed.

The July 10 incident at Minnehaha Park drew widespread attention after a bystander recorded part of it and posted a video to Facebook that’s been viewed over 2.8 million times.

The officers were responding to a female 911 caller who falsely reported that four teens were following her boyfriend and wielding knives and sticks. Park police released the four after finding they were unarmed and hearing witness accounts that contradicted the caller’s story. The department has since said the call was “misleading” and apologized to the boys.

At a news conference Monday called by the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, 14-year-old Aden Aden said he and his friends were just trying to have fun when a white kid confronted them. Witnesses have corroborated that account.

“When I was at the park, I was just trying to have a good day with my friends,” Aden said. “And this white kid came up to us saying racial slurs towards us, and when the cops came, they just pulled guns to our faces. And I felt like I was discriminated (against) and I felt like it was not supposed to happen, and I hope it never happens to anyone again.”

Fourteen-year-old Suhaib Ahmed said the officers frightened them. “I was scared he was going to shoot me.”

Police said in a news release last week that one of the officers “unholstered his firearm and pointed it in the general direction of the four suspects.”

Ladylove,
It seems to me that when dispatchers get those calls, they should ask where the caller is. The dispatcher should ask that they wait in a safe place to meet with the police.

Cops will react based on the information given to them, so something has to be done to discourage false reports. They aren’t much different than swatting. Also, I think of John Campbell III and Tamir Rice.

I saw a red flag while watching the video! The Chief said “the video has undermined” that trust! I disagree, it is the actions of the officer that has undermined the trust and the video only exposed his actions! IMO this chief and the officer involved need to be removed immediately! I honestly think from his demeanor during his press conference, that he was not too interested in actually following up with an investigation into the caller and her motives.. His attitude and body language makes me think that he was really not as concerned about this incident because the kids were black! I somehow suspect had the kids been white and the caller black the caller would have already been arrested and charged with a hate crime…

Hello Xena. What gets me is comparing the park police response to this with the one where a white man was harassing and threatening a hispanic lady who begged the officer standing there for assistance. In the case of the black boys with a white woman, the police act aggressively and with guns drawn. In the case of a white man threatening a hispanic lady the park officer walked away refusing repeatedly to help the hispanic lady . Makes me wonder. Hugs

Hi Scottie!
It’s ingrained in America’s conscience to see White women as helpless, weak, defenseless persons who have to be rescued, and to see people of color responsible for whatever causes Whites to be upset. When people have privilege because of the color of their skin, they can turn it on and off at will.

This is happening way too often. Dispatchers and police need better training. Unless it is a 911 call, dispatchers should ask for name, etc. If the person doesn’t provide it or the information is false, then this should be noted where police are notified of possible false report.

This method could be too complicated. But blaming the victims is never acceptable.

Gronda,
911 dispatcher trainers should sit down and come up with a solution to identifying callers, and police academy trainers also need to develop training on proceeding on calls when it is suspected that the call might be false. It’s something that must be done to hinder or eliminate false 911 calls, including swatting calls.

When will this end? I’m at the point where I hear a story every day or every other day about someone calling the cops on Black people in America. I’m glad people are exposing these devils for lying about these situations, but I seriously wonder if 911 is being called so these liars can get off on harming POCs or possibly killing them. I’m glad they’re not hurt. They had every right to be scared in the situation and their families better rain down with lawsuits against those who made the calls.

Ospreyshire,
I think it’s a continuation of making false claims to either have law enforcement take life under color and claim of official right, or have the “suspect” arrested and but through hell to prove innocence. There was once a default that if the suspect was Black and the reporting party White, that the word of the White person would be taken as truth. Times have changed somewhat now, but the method has not. Keep in mind that going back to 2008, there were White people who said they wanted their country back.

May I add as I mentioned to ospreyshire when we talked, this is also about harassment. Sort of the idea that if I can get you in trouble or harass for what the rest of us to with no problem every day, you are a second class person. We all knew kids in school who only wanted to get other kids in trouble. It is like some people get joy out of seeing others they have a dislike for hassled for no reason. I think a lot of these calls on black people doing normal things are simply a way to enforce a second class feeling. It is wrong, I hate it, I want to fight it, but I think in the minds of those doing it , they feel gratification seeing a black person give grief for no reason. I hate this, I really hate it. I don’t really know what to do other than speak out, to vote democratic party, to challenge anyone with racist ideals. Dang it makes me so angry. Hugs

Scottie,
I agree about the intentions and understand what you mean about not really knowing what to do than to speak out. I think that speaking out is important, not because evil people can be changed, but rather to inform those who do not know. We never know when the information can be helpful to them. It might even help some unsuspecting person to be on the lookout for characteristics in others that they do not welcome into their own lives. (((((Hugs)))))

Chuquest,
Ronald Ritchie who called 911 on John Crawford III who was in Walmart, came close. A judge found there was probable cause because the surveillance tapes show that Crawford was not engaging in the behavior Ritchie reported. Prosecutor Mark Piepmeier however, refused to prosecute on the basis that there was no evidence that Ritchie knew he was providing false information.

There have been arrests for swatting calls, but that too depends on District or State Attorneys.

In some counties, District or State Attorneys don’t seem to be interested in what they term “victimless crimes”. They do not understand that if there is a crime — any crime, then there is a victim. There might not always have been blood spilled, but there is internal harm.